Facing the incoming motorcycle, Tony Stark dodged swiftly, but before he could get back on his feet, he saw two infrared dots glowing on his chest.
Cursing under his breath, he activated the shoulder turrets—two small barrels popped out just as the Iron Monger's rockets launched toward him.
Tony opened fire immediately. The bullets couldn't match the rockets' power, but they managed to detonate them midair, avoiding a direct hit.
Boom—!
Even so, the blast wave engulfed Tony, sending him spinning upward through the firestorm before he crashed heavily onto the ground. The Iron Monger stomped forward, jets flaring from its feet as it vaulted over a wrecked car and landed near Tony.
"For thirty years, I've supported you! I built this company with my own hands!" Obadiah Stane's voice thundered from within the armor.
Fueled by rage, the Iron Monger raised its massive foot and stomped down hard toward Tony.
"I won't let anyone stand in my way!" Stane roared, seizing a nearby bus with the Iron Monger's claws and smashing it like a toy.
"Let's end this!" He raised his shoulder-mounted launcher, twin targeting beams locking onto his prey.
Boom—!
The explosion swallowed the bus in a wave of fire. Tony was thrown backward, barely activating his stabilizers in time to halt his fall midair.
"It's really something," Obadiah sneered, watching the red-and-gold suit hovering in the smoke. "You improved your design… and I improved mine."
Thick exhaust poured from the Iron Monger's leg thrusters as it began to rise into the air. Though it could fly, its clumsy rocket boosters were far inferior to Tony's sleek repulsor jets.
"Sir, energy reserves are down to fifteen percent," Jarvis warned calmly. "Continuing combat is not advised."
"I know. Route all remaining power to the thrusters!" Tony barked.
Flames flared brighter beneath his boots as Iron Man shot through the black smoke, rapidly pulling distance from the lumbering Iron Monger.
...
Harry had dropped Pepper Potts three streets away and was already speeding toward the battle.
"They're flying up," he muttered, looking skyward as two fiery trails climbed into the night.
"Hurry," he urged himself. "Tony's suit will run out of power soon—and without Pepper, he might not make it."
...
Meanwhile, Tony's plan had succeeded. The Iron Monger froze midair, its systems locking up due to icing, and plummeted from the sky. But Tony's own arc reactor ran out of power at the same time. Luckily, his backup kicked in, allowing him to land safely.
Still, an unpowered suit was little more than a metal coffin—and Stane had survived the fall.
Boom!
The Iron Monger's punch sent Tony flying.
"Smart, but not enough. I'm stronger than you!" Stane bellowed, seizing Tony in both steel claws and crushing him tightly.
"Really? Then try this again!" came Harry's voice from above.
Boom! Boom—!
A pair of miniature missiles slammed into the Iron Monger, one blast tearing its right arm completely off.
"You've really made me angry this time!" Stane snarled, turning to face the hovering figure of Harry Osborn, flames streaming from his feet.
"Is that so?" Harry smirked. With a metallic clang, he drew his blade. The edge glowed faintly, a thin layer of green mist curling along its length.
"I think you'll be even angrier now."
He gripped the weapon in one hand, bent his knees, and shot forward on the flying board.
"Hmph!" Stane scoffed, raising the machine gun on his left arm and unleashing a barrage.
"Your firepower's not impressive," Harry said calmly as the board's automatic evasion system swerved through the bullets. For the first time, he truly felt the strength granted by his enhanced body.
As the distance closed, Harry stomped down hard on the board's front edge.
With a metallic clang, two alloy blades snapped out from the board's nose.
He crouched low, both hands gripping the glowing sword, and leapt as the board continued its charge.
Clang—!
The twin blades struck the Iron Monger's armor, but they were made of ordinary alloy—far too light to pierce its dense plating. The board ricocheted away harmlessly.
"Is that all you've got? Pathetic!" Stane laughed scornfully. "Die already!"
But a second later, his tone changed. "What—? Why can't my armor move?"
Harry grinned as he twisted midair, landing lightly before the immobilized Iron Monger.
The reason was simple: while fighting, he had discreetly wedged his invisible restraint device into the armor's joints. The Iron Monger was still a crude prototype—its exposed joints left plenty of weak points compared to Tony's refined design.
Harry spun his blade backward and slashed between the helmet and torso. Sparks burst from the joint as the blade severed the helmet's display wiring. Then, turning sharply, he kicked the Iron Monger square in the chest. Despite its several-ton weight, the armored giant toppled backward with a thunderous crash.
"You think this will stop me?!" Stane roared, forcing the Iron Monger upright. He ripped off the helmet and glared at Harry, his face twisted with fury.
"Of course," Harry replied coolly, sliding the blade back into its sheath.
He opened his palm, focusing. "Come out!"
The invisible device reactivated, surrounding Stane in a transparent field. With a yank of Harry's hand, Obadiah Stane was pulled bodily from the Iron Monger's armor, suspended helplessly in midair.
Harry drew him closer and delivered a sharp strike to the neck.
"Ugh—" Stane slumped unconscious.
"Now then… this is mine," Harry said with a satisfied smile, turning to the massive armor.
"Tony," he called over to the red-and-gold figure lying nearby, "I'll be taking the Iron Monger. You don't mind, right?"
"Of course not," Tony replied weakly. "Not like I can move anyway."
"Then I won't be polite," Harry said cheerfully, placing his hand on the Iron Monger's cold metal surface.
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A/N: Advanced Chapters Have Been Uploaded On My Patreon
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